If you have been following our posts on our website and also across our social media channels of late, you will have seen the transformation from when we left Lancelot in the skillful and capable hands of our friends at Hillmorton Boat Services has been amazing to watch.

From this…

See more here

To this….

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To this…

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And now the work has been fully completed, two of our esteemed boat skippers Brian and Kevin collected Lancelot and steered her from Hillmorton ‘back home’ to our mooring base at Bottom Lock in Braunston.

Our sincere thanks to the team at Hillmorton Boat Services for undertaking this work for us. Lancelot looks amazing.

And soon it will be Guinevere’s turn too!

But not just yet; we have a busy season of bookings and eager boaters to look after between now and November!

• To check out Lancelot and Guinevere’s availability for 2026 and 2027 for your community group’s short break residential holiday or weekend, head to our online Booking Page here.

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You will have hopefully seen our earlier progress posts (here) and (here).

Now see the contrast from this….

…to now this from pictures taken by one of our project skippers Kevin with the team at Hillmorton Boat Services earlier this week.

* Like Lancelot’s new refreshed look?  Then why not see the boat first-hand and bring your community group to enjoy a short break or holiday on him.

Whether you use the services of one of our Project Boat Skippers or self-steer yourself (with the relevant CCBM),  we know you will love your time exploring our region’s waterways and everything they offer on board.

To find out more, check availability for 2026 and 2027 and discuss what we can offer and tell us about your group’s requirements, call our Bookings Officer Nigel on 07783 002073 or email at bookings@lnbp.co.uk.

Or you can check avaialbility and make a booking online here.

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The post In pictures: Lancelot gets a new coat – a further update appeared first on LNBP Community Boating.

Far from it.

We are busy as ever behind the scenes preparing, in this case, for the 2026 season which starts in February.

The close season does provide us with enough of a window to undertake one of our more time-consuming and costly jobs which thankfully do not happen every year.

This is the repainting of our boats Lancelot and Guinevere.

However, for various reasons we can only get one of the two painted at the moment, so it was Lancelot that got the nod to be first to shipped off to our friends at Hillmorton Boat Services near Rugby.

So, in mid November once our last booking for the 2025 season and subsequent Winterising Weekend had both been completed, Lancelot made the short trip from Braunston up the North Oxford Canal to Hillmorton Locks for the work to be done.

Here’s a few photos from the early stages below

Look out for more photos on Lancelot’s progress to follow.

And rest assured, Lancelot will be spick and span and ready for February and our first booking of the 2026 season.

The post In pictures: Lancelot gets a new coat appeared first on LNBP Community Boating.

We were pleased and privileged to welcome the party from Ship 444 Sea Scouts, Colorado, USA, to Braunston and on board Lancelot and Guinevere as part of their visit and adventures to the UK.

As you can see from a sample of the pictures we have been kindly supplied, the party had a wonderful time with time spent not only on the waterways here in Northamptonshire and into South Warwickshire, but also with trips and stays further afield in and around London

For LNBP’s part, we played a key role in helping them with their travel plans and itinerary (which involved a series of Zoom calls and emails) but also with Lancelot and Guinevere being their accommodation and travel base when with us in central England.

All being well we hope to have a first-hand account of our American friends’ travels in due course.

But for now, sit back and take a look at some of the great photos from their trip…and look out for to follow shortly.

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Our Dewinterising Weekend is where many of our members converge to our mooring at Bottom Lock in Braunston, Northamptonshire to bring Lancelot and Guinevere out of hibernation from the winter to get them ready for the new boating season ahead.

Whether it was on deck (or on the roof) or down in the gallery, our team were hard at work with cleaning inside and outside and making sure L and G were looking in prime condition and in good working order for what promises to be another busy season in prospect.

As well as making them look spick and span from the rigours of a cold few months, the weekend also involved making sure L and G were in good mechanical and running order and ensuring both boats had all the necessary equipment clean and in place to ensure our upcoming client group guests have everything they need for their trips.

In addition to the various jobs and tasks in hand, the weekend is also a good social occasion with members coming from various parts of the country both locally and from further afield. And after the events of recent years where face-to-face gatherings have been at a premium due to Covid, it was great to a few people for once in real life and not virtually on a Zoom chat camera as has been the case.

Below are a few picture taken by our Press and Media Officer Karl  

Also check out our Facebook page (here), Twitter (here) and Instagram (here) for some additional videos.

A big thank you to everyone who contributed to a highly successful and productive Dewinterising Weekend.

We (and L and G) now look forward to welcoming our client group guests for the coming season, starting this very weekend.

• LNBP Community Boating have some remaining dates in their 2023 calendar for community groups and organisations to enjoy a weekend or midweek residential trip on Lancelot and Guinevere.

• For further details on availability and to make a booking, head to our online booking page here

The post In the picture: Dewinterising Weekend appeared first on LNBP Community Boating.

The Mayor of Stratford-upon-Avon, Cllr Gill Cleave, paid a visit to Lancelot during a stop in the town by the 13th Hasting Guides as part of their residential trip with us.

The visit had direct relevance as the interests of Cllr Cleave include being a Girl Guide Leader as well as being a keen narrow boater.

With permission from LNBP Trustees, LNBP hosted a tea and cake reception for the Mayor during the stay in Stratford.

As part of the visit, LNBP Project Skipper Paul Iverson gave the Mayor a tour of the boat as well as a wider introduction into what LNBP do and provide.

The Mayor spent over an hour with the boat and Guides and expressed an interest in training with LNBP following her year in office.

The Mayor is supporting three charities, all youth-based and targeting children from the Stratford area who are in financial difficulty, which again has empathy with what LNBP can offer with its Bursary Fund.

It was wonderful to welcome the Mayor to visit us and we appreciate Cllr Cleave’s time in taking time out to see us and find out more about us.

We hope to perhaps see her again – perhaps with a Girl Guiding group – once her term of office is up.

See what Cllr Cleave thought by clicking here

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The post In pictures: Looking after Lancelot appeared first on LNBP Community Boating.

The restrictions from the coronavirus pandemic means our activities are still on hold, but we are brightening up our look for when we are back into service.

 
No doubt many of you have taken the opportunity during the lockdown period to undertake some decorating in and around the home. Well, so have we!
 
With our two boats Lancelot and Guinevere still not permitted to venture out on the canals with our client groups, we have instead taken the opportunity to give one of them a new coat of paint and undergo some maintenance work which was otherwise scheduled for later in the year.
 
Thanks to kind arrangement at short notice, Guinevere was taken the very short distance from our mooring at Bottom Lock and into dry dock for works to get underway.
 

 
See the images below to see how things are progressing
 

 

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LNBP are always keen to welcome new volunteers and active members to our organisation. 
If you are 16 or over, we have many opportunities available. Find out how you can get involved here.
Or if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us for a chat.

The post In Pictures: LNBP De-Winterising Weekend appeared first on LNBP Community Boating.

 
Held at the impressive setting of Crick Marina in Northamptonshire over the Whitsun Bank Holiday Weekend of Saturday 27th to Monday 29th May, once again we are proud to be the Show’s official Charity Partner for what promises to be another great busy weekend.
 

Organised by Waterways World in partnership with the Canal & River Trust and Crick Marina, the three day Show offers a great day out by the water and showcases 300 exhibitors from across the canal world.
 
Plus there is opportunity to take a boat trip with us!
 
Visitors to Crick can enjoy a boat trip with us along the Grand Union Canal aboard canal boats run by our volunteer team of skippers. The half-hour trips are free (but we welcome donations!) and run every 10 minutes from 10.10am each day of the show.
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
And here is a useful tip – book early as you come into the show as these trips get booked out very quickly each day!
 
Our team will be present throughout the three day duration of the Crick Boat Show. In addition to running the trip boats, we will have one of our boats Guinevere on show for visitors to look around and see the boat and its facilities for themselves, and find out what we do and can offer community groups and organisations, and schools.
 

• You can find the LNBP at Braunston Community Team at Stand Q50 where the team will be able to take your booking for the trip boats. Also, you will find one of our boats on display a few metres away down the hill where you can come aboard and see inside our full-length narrowboat, and find out more about what we can offer.

About The Crick Boat Show and Waterways Festival

 
Crick is Britain’s biggest inland waterways festival, showcasing the very best of the canal world.  So, whether you are a boat owner or just a dreamer, let your imagination roam free with dozens of new boats to look round, all the latest products, gadgets and space-saving solutions to admire, and outdoor clothing, jewellery, hats and hand bags to revitalize your wardrobe.
 
There is chance to listen to live music as live bands will be performing throughout the Show in the Wheatsheaf Bar Marquee, with the ‘T-Rextasy’ tribute band headlining on the Saturday evening, and the ‘Fleetwood Bac’ Tribute Show and ‘Murphy’s Marbles’ on Sunday evening.
 
There is chance to try artisan food in the show’s Food & Craft Marquee which will host a wide selection of independent food specialists, offering tasty samples, great gift ideas and live demonstrations of culinary delights.
 
Enjoy some waterway-themed children’s activities as children aged 16 and under can visit the show for free where they will find a variety of special activities, including a treasure hunt, ‘build a canal’ challenge, and Roses & Castles painting in the Canal & River Trust Marquee.
 
Plus there is opportunity to step back in time on a historic boat for as well as dozens of new boats to look around, a number of historic boats will also be on show, offering visitors the chance to find out how working boat families lived in such a tiny cabin, and the journeys they made to make their living.
 
Crick Boat Show will be open from 10.00am till 6.00pm every day except Monday 29 May, when it closes at 5.00pm.  Evening entertainment runs from 7.30pm to 11.30pm.
 
Ticket prices start at £12 per adult if booked in advance, £15 on the day.  All children aged 16 and under go free.  Senior Citizens and concessions are £10.80 in advance, £13.50 on the day. 
 
For more information and to book tickets, visit www.crickboatshow.com or call 01283 742970

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